"He was a champion of ours when we had few, (and) made those around him feel like family," the rockers tweeted.

Serena Ryder also likened Cameron to family, saying "he believed in me and loved me just like a dad."

"I am where I am today because of this beautiful man," she wrote on Instagram. "Deane, you were an angel before, you are definitely one now."

Other Canadian musicians who connected with Cameron over his four-decade career include Buffy Sainte-Marie, Stompin' Tom Connors, the Rankin Family, July Talk and k-os.

Cameron got his start at EMI Music Canada as a warehouse worker, rising through the ranks to become the record label's president and CEO in 1988.

Serving in the top job for 24 years, Cameron pushed to secure major U.S. record deals for Canadian artists including Corey Hart, Max Webster and Red Rider. He also put support behind international acts such as Coldplay, Kate Bush and Katy Perry in the Canadian market.

His championing of homegrown talent won Cameron a number of accolades, including the Order of Canada and the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the Junos.

Cameron was appointed the president and CEO of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall in 2015. During his tenure, Cameron helped oversee a roughly $140 million project to overhaul the 125-year-old Massey Hall, slated to be finished in 2020.